Record of Geology of Texas, 1887 - 1896 . 
81 
Dumble, Edwin T. 
good description was first given of them by Dr. Shumard, while he was 
(State Geologist, and it is a matter to be deeply regretted that the valuable 
maps of the counties he examined in this region, and the description of 
their geological formations, as he had determined them, have been lost to 
the Statea At a later date. Dr. Buckley made a reconnaissance through 
this section, and visited and described some of the better known localities, 
where furnaces had been erected or where’ heavy deposits were supposed to 
exist. 
“The practical value of these ores as iron producers has been fully 
demonstrated by the numerous furnaces which have been erected and 
run on them. * * 
* «■ * -IS- -IS- -is- 
“The geological position of these deposits is immediately above the blue 
and yellow marls of the Claiborne group of the Eocene Tertiary, froan 
which they are separated by a stratum of red and peculiarly mottled clay, 
which has a very wide development. I have observed it from Shelby 
county, on the east, down the line of the H. E. & W. T. Railway into 
iPolk county, and as far west as Goliad, and from Cherokee to Jasper 
county. As a rule, the ore beds, which are nearly horizontal, occur only 
at or near the tops of the knobs or hills, and have for covering nothing 
more than a bed of gray or light colored sand, and frequently even this 
is absent. These beds are therefore not continuous, but lie in detached 
masses, and it often happens that the talus from the seam above so covers 
the hillside as to make it appear a mountain of iron ore. The thickness 
of these beds is variable, being from one inch to five feet, and even greater 
in places. The capping is generally a silicious iron, which is often present 
even when the ore is not. ITo the south and west, as in Jasper and Bastrop 
counties, this seems to pass into an iron sandstone, sometimes of con- 
siderable thickness. 
“Tlie overlying sands are compacted in some places, as may be seen 
along the line of the H. E. & W. T. Railway, at various localities between 
'Lufkin and Timpson, and their peculiar formation shows the work of wind 
and tide. 
“The ores themselves consist of hematites, limonites and argillaceous 
varieties, and occur massive, honey-combed and laminated, or of concre- 
tionary structure, the former predominating in the eastern and the latter 
in the western part of the district. Thus the ‘laminated’ and ‘brown 
crumbly’ are the varieties used at the furnaces at Rusk and Kelleyville, 
while in [Robertson county concretionary forms and argillaceous ores are 
very abundant, and may be seen at the lignite bluff on the Brazos river. 
Pot ore and pipe ore are also of frequent occurrence. 
“In Sabine county specimens were brought me that were as rich in 
appearance as some of our Llano ores, but my limited time prevented an 
examination of the localities from which they were obtained. 
“Analyses of these oires, made by Prof. Everhart and others, show that 
they contain from thirty-five to sixty-one per cent, of metallic iron, and 
are very low in phosphorus. The iron from these ores is unexcelled for 
many grades 'of castings, such as car wheels, agricultural implements, etc., 
on account of its chilling properties, but for softer castings other ores must 
